The Listeners Poem Summary

Famous narrative poem "The Listener" by Walter de la Mare. The poem's key themes are loneliness and the need for connection. The "Traveller" and the "phantom listeners" are the two central figures in "The Listeners." the Traveller is the first character. He once finds a lonely, abandoned home in the wilderness. He knocked on that door but got no response. He chooses to go inside the residence out of curiosity and anxiety. He discovers an elderly guy sitting by the fireplace in silence and stillness. The traveler starts talking to the old man about his journeys, experiences, and adventures. But the old man doesn't say anything; he listens.

The traveler reveals more profound ideas and emotions due to his dissatisfaction, showing his fragility and the suffering of his own isolation. He wants a relationship that goes beyond simple talk, and he wonders if the elderly guy can provide any consolation or understanding. The traveler longs for a sincere human connection with someone who will pay attention to him and reciprocate, filling the hole left by loneliness.

The old man pours forth his heart, yet nothing moves him. He keeps sitting still and merely listens. The traveler starts to wonder about the point of his statements and why he is even in this lonely spot. He questions whether his experiences and feelings are being ignored.

The traveler ultimately accepts the sad fact that the old guy would never react as the poem comes to an end. He understands that an old man's only responsibility is to listen and that dealing with his loneliness is up to him. The traveler leaves the old man behind as he leaves the residence, discouraged and disappointed.

Stanza Wise Analysis of the Poem

Stanza 1:

"Is there anybody there?" said the Traveller,
(...)
"Is there anybody there?" he said.

The traveler is waiting for someone in front of a door that the moon has lighted. His horse is calmly grazing on the woodland floor grass while he knocks. From the turret over the traveler's head, a bird takes flight. The traveler knocks again, repeating his question, but gets no answer.

Stanza 2:

But no one descended to the Traveller;
(...)
Where he stood perplexed and still.

The tourist knocks repeatedly but gets no response. The traveler stares out the window, but no one appears. He is perplexed and remains still, wondering why no one is paying him attention.

Stanza 3:

But only a host of phantom listeners
(...)
To that voice from the world of men.

There are phantom-like listeners who are unseen within the home. They are there, residing in that house, albeit they cannot be seen. In the serene moonlight, they pay close attention to the speech of the traveler, who stands in for the world of the living.

Stanza 4:

Stood thronging the faint moonbeams on the dark stair,
(...)
By the lonely Traveller's call.

On the home's darkly lighted stairway, the listeners congregate. The call of the wanderer reverberates across the still air as they eagerly listen to it. The atmosphere is alive with the expectation of the listeners.

Stanza 5:

And he felt in his heart their strangeness,
(...)
'Neath the starred and leafy sky;

The traveler feels the listeners' mysterious presence. They retort quietly to his remarks, and he senses their strangeness and quietness. His horse, still munching on the grass beneath the starry sky, doesn't seem bothered by the unfamiliar environment.

Stanza 6:

For he suddenly smote on the door, even
(...)
That I kept my word," he said.

The agitated traveler strikes the door more forcefully and lifts his head in an effort to be heard. He wants everyone present to know that he showed up there as promised, did not get a response, and kept his word.

Stanza 7:

Never the least stir made the listeners,
(...)
From the one man left awake:

The traveler's words reverberate throughout the house, yet the listeners are totally still. There is just one awake listener who is paying close attention to what the traveler says.

Stanza 8:

Ay, they heard his foot upon the stirrup,
(...)
When the plunging hoofs were gone.

The noises of the traveler's foot stomping on the stirrup and metal clinking on stone are audible to the listener as he gets ready to go. The stillness returns slowly, like a wave that is receding, as the traveler's horse runs off.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "The Listener" examines loneliness and the innate need for companionship. The interaction between the traveler and a silent old man shows the desire for a sympathetic ear and understanding response. The old man continues to be a silent presence, underscoring how solitary the traveler's situation is.